The few among the public who even know what the Montgomery County Council is, or what it does, would tell you it primarily raises taxes, provides reckless zoning and giveaways of taxpayer money and public land to its developer sugar daddies, and "bans stuff." It's a lazy summer for the very part-time Council, but it has just announced the latest thing it wants to ban: bamboo. If Bill 26-25 passes later this year, perhaps after the Council's long summer vacation, there would also be a new nanny state requirement that at least 50% of the landscaping in any new development be comprised of native plants, although this provision appears only in the Council press release and not in the current language of the bill.
The bill would prohibit the sale of invasive bamboo, which is a rapidly-spreading plant. It would also establish penalties for doing so. A public hearing on the bill has been scheduled for July 22, 2025 at 1:30 PM at the County Council chambers.
Most people would probably agree that bamboo is an aggressively invasive plant. Maybe it should be banned, or maybe it should have been banned a long time ago. But one can't help but notice the many crises the County is facing, and wonder why bamboo is the top priority of the County Council. The current Council hasn't passed a single bill to address our moribund economy or sustained violent crime wave. Montgomery County hasn't attracted a single major corporate headquarters in over 25 years. And we are currently facing fiscal oblivion in the coming years, regarding the County's structural budget deficit and debt. This is a part-time Council that is absurdly unserious in its legislative pursuits. We can't go on like this.
9 comments:
Maybe not a top priority issue but welcome. Beyond banning bamboo (which is easy) they should help provide solutions around neighborhoods where bamboo is creeping onto private property from adjacent “conservation parks” which are completely neglected pieces of public land.
Non-native child-rapist felons we welcome to our sanctuary cities, but we draw the line at bamboo?!
The council has nothing better to do like crime or their partial backtracking of the gas leaf blower ban. Total incompetence on display.
Very good point and "unserious" is a great description. It's not that I disagree with this bill but enough already with the easy stuff (as noted above). What about a bill to ban urban blight that requires developers to tear down abandoned building if not redeveloped within 2 years, for example? Please do something significant and stop focusing on benign "feel good" issues to put in a re-election flyer.
How bout unbanning a few things? Oh, it's MoCo Council. Never mind.
Requiring developers to tear down buildings that have been entitled for another structure after a period of time is a great idea. If they are serious enough to kick out any tenants, board up windows and completely vacate a structure, a requirement to fully remove it, or the loss their unbuilt entitlement might just work. Make them remove the structure at least, grade the site and hydro seed the lot with mow once, drought tolerant grasses, and require yearly maintenance. If they don’t do so, the loose their appovals.
Trial and error approaches work for the medical field, why not "harebrained" council ideas?
Banning it is easy. Actually getting rid of it is a different story. Unintended consequences is what's going to happen when too much toxic weed killer is used and gets into the ground water. At that point it will be Trump's fault because the MC council is made up of lackeys who can't make it in the real world.
Are you kidding me? I guess I shouldn't be surprised as they care more about this than the crime..
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